


Apple Cider Confessions

by cxenaki



Category: Once Upon A Time - Fandom
Genre: Endgame Evil Queen | Regina Mills/Emma Swan, F/F, Lesbian Sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-23
Updated: 2017-05-02
Packaged: 2018-10-22 20:05:39
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 20,062
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10704150
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cxenaki/pseuds/cxenaki
Summary: "I…," Regina began. She swallowed again, finding her mouth to be very dry. She looked down at her hands in her lap and then up to Emma's eyes. Getting lost again, but only for a moment, she continued, "I have feelings for someone that I don't believe will ever feel the same about me. I don't know what to do about it."





	1. Liquid Courage

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! I hope you enjoy this story! Explicit for sexual situations and language.
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own the characters or anything. Just the plot. :)

     Regina Mills was not much of a drinker, but tonight, she’d make an exception. She decided that she just needed a break from reality for a while. Her feelings began to overwhelm her, she was drowning in her own thoughts, and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t distract herself. Drinking was her next tried solution. Several glasses of homemade cider later, Regina realized that it was going to be a lot harder than she thought to forget her feelings for Emma Swan.

     Regina had noticed this attraction towards Emma before, but was able to successfully make up other excuses for her behavior. Many times, she convinced herself that she sought out Emma to torture her and make her leave Storybrooke. Other times, she claimed to be seeking revenge. In the end, it all came down to one thing. Regina was thoroughly attracted to Emma’s impassioned personality and unpredictability. The stunning blonde challenged Regina at every turn, keeping her on her toes. And whenever Regina thought she had her all figured out, Emma would do something drastically different, like taking a chainsaw to her apple tree or saving her life when there was no plausible motive to do so. The Mayor simply could not figure Emma out, and that is what intrigued her most.

     On a deeper level, Emma seemed to have a certain understanding and empathy for Regina. She saw the brunette as more than the Evil Queen. She saw her as a person in need of saving, even if she only needed to be saved from her own dark past. Emma offered Regina a chance at redemption, one that she was secretly eager to take, not only for her son, but also to prove to Emma that she had not made a mistake in giving her this chance. Since then, their friendship had blossomed, and Regina’s feelings grew in the depths of her heart into something much more than she ever intended. Yet, her feelings alone were not what frightened her. It was the fear of rejection and a broken heart that caused Regina to drown her feelings in alcohol.

     Standing from her seat behind her desk, Regina made her way over to the decanter sitting on a side table and refilled her glass for the fourth time. Or was it the fifth? She couldn’t remember. She shook her head, returned to her seat, and rather ungracefully reached for her phone, knocking some pens onto the floor. She entered her passcode correctly on the second try and checked for any messages from Henry. He left to spend the evening with his grandparents and she wanted to ensure he had gotten there safely. She had 3 messages on her phone.

**Henry:** I’m here! 

**Henry:** I love you! Goodnight!

                                                                                                                                                                                           

     Scrunching her eyebrows together in concentration, she responded with a simple response of “love you too” before she returned to her text conversations to see who else had texted. The third message was from none other than Emma Swan.

**Emma:** Are you home?

     Regina growled in frustration. She had only settled her mind for a moment before Emma was once again intruding herself into Regina’s thoughts. “Damn this woman,” she said aloud. She finished off her glass in two quick gulps before continuing. “I just need to forget these feelings. Emma and I are friends, and nothing more.” She closed her eyes, ran her fingers through her hair, and sighed, resting her head on the desk. “This is easy,” she encouraged herself. “It’s a matter of will power. Simply do not allow yourself to go down this path. You’ll only hurt yourself.” And then there was a knock at the door.

     Stumbling slightly, Regina stood and made her way to the door, occasionally leaning on the wall as she went. She grabbed the knob and opened the door, only to see the stunning green-eyed beauty she’d been avoiding. “Oh God, it’s you…” she said before she could stop herself. Her filter from her brain to her mouth and been shut down due to her intoxication. She left the door open and walked back towards her study.

     “Well it’s lovely to see you too,” Emma replied sarcastically before entering the house and closing the door. “Is everything okay?” Not hearing any response, the Sheriff moved further into the house and followed Regina into the study. She watched as the brunette dropped herself onto the couch in a lying position with her forearm over her eyes to block the light from the lamp. Emma leaned against the door jamb for a moment and observed the scene before her. She noticed the glass on the desk, the nearly empty decanter, and the items on the Mayor’s desk in disarray. She stepped into the room, and asked “Regina, are you okay?”

Without moving, she responded, “Fine. I just have a headache.” Emma chuckled. “Is something funny?” Regina snapped.

“Yeah,” Emma answered her with another small chuckle. “It’s probably from all the alcohol you drank. I didn’t peg you for a drinker.” Raising the decanter to observe its contents, she asked, “Wasn’t this almost full?”

“Half.” Regina responded. “And I don’t drink much.”

“I can see why. You’re an angry drunk,” Emma quipped before grabbing Regina’s empty glass and filling it with the remaining amber liquid.

“I most certainly am not,” she said, lifting her head to glare at Emma. “I have a lot on my mind.” She laid her head back down, as she added, “I see you’re once again just making yourself at home where you don’t belong.”

“Ouch.” Emma feigned offense as she downed the cider, returned the glass to the desk, and made her way toward the couch. “It’s been a while since you’ve told me I don’t belong here. You must really be upset.” She neared the couch, lifted Regina’s legs, and sat down, placing Regina’s legs back on her lap. The brunette tensed due to the now more intimate position she found herself in. “Hey now,” Emma continued, patting Regina’s leg on her lap. “Talk to me.”

“You wouldn’t understand,” Regina slurred, moving into a sitting position next to the blonde.

Emma placed her hand on Regina’s shoulder and said, “Just try me.”

     Regina looked into Emma’s emerald green eyes and paused, taking a moment to admire the passion she saw there. She searched her eyes, looking for any type of insincerity or malicious intent, and found nothing but kindness and compassion. She let out a small sigh as she found herself getting lost in the green sea before her. Then she let her eyes wander lower, smiling at Emma’s little button nose. But just a bit lower, the Mayor’s eyes focused on Emma’s pink lips. Subconsciously licking her own, her mind wondered what it would be like to kiss those very same lips, to feel hers move so freely over Emma’s, caressing the inside of the Sheriff’s mouth with her tongue, tasting every inch of…

“Regina?” Emma placed her hand on Regina’s leg and returned her focus to the conversation at hand.

     Regina was not drunk enough to throw caution completely to the wind, but she definitely found herself beginning a conversation she normally would not have had she not drank more than her fair share of liquid courage. She swallowed hard and turned to face Emma completely, bringing one leg up underneath her. She scooted closer and allowed her leg to bump Emma’s, causing the blonde to turn and face Regina more fully, giving the mayor her full attention.

     “I…,” Regina began. She swallowed again, finding her mouth to be very dry. She looked down at her hands in her lap and then up to Emma’s eyes. Getting lost again, but only for a moment, she continued, “I have feelings for someone that I don’t believe will ever feel the same about me. I don’t know what to do about it.”

     “Oh…” Emma said, taking her hand off Regina’s leg and retreating into her own thoughts for a moment. The brunette observed Emma quietly, watching the emotional confusion on the beautiful blonde’s face. She first seemed upset, then quiet and stoic, before placing her best smile on her face. “That’s wonderful, Regina. How lucky this person must be to have caught your attention.” The small hint of jealousy in Emma’s tone slipped right past Regina’s foggy mind.

“What do you suggest I do?”, she asked, doing her best not to slur her words.

“Um…” Emma rubbed the back of her neck nervously and looked down at her lap. “I don’t know. I’m clearly not any type of love guru. I don’t even know the slightest thing about stable healthy relationships. I kind of just go with the flow of things. I don’t plan things out often. I just do whatever I feel is the thing to do at that moment in time. It’s seemed to work for me so far with…”

     Regina stopped listening. Emma’s voice had faded to a murmur in the background as Regina’s clouded mind focused only on that last sentence. “I just do whatever I feel is the thing to do at that moment in time.” ‘ _Of course_ , _’_ she thought to herself. _‘Spontaneous Emma does whatever it is that she wants to do. It works for her, right? So here goes nothing.’_

     She lunged forward, crashing her lips into Emma’s mid-sentence, causing the kiss to be slightly awkward and messy. After a moment, Regina pulled back. The blonde sat there stunned, mouth still slightly open, in silence. “Oh God, I’m so sorry,” Regina began. “The alcohol has my brain all fuzzy. Please forgive me,” she said, standing and heading toward the staircase. “I’m going to excuse myself to my room and you can see yourself out.”

     As she reached the bottom stair, she felt a hand gently grasp her wrist, causing her to turn and face a brilliantly smiling Emma. The blonde slowly decreased the distance between them, as she whispered, “I promise that I’m a better kisser than that. You just caught me in the middle of my sentence. Can we try that again?” Regina quietly nodded as her eyes drifted shut. Emma closed the remaining distance between them, gently pressing her lips to Regina’s, as her hand found the back of her neck, tangling her fingers in silk brunette hair, pulling her closer. Her other hand found the small of Regina’s back, steadying her as she began to sway. Deepening the kiss, Emma took a few steps toward Regina, backing her into the nearest wall. Lips parted and tongues battled for dominance, as hands roamed and caressed the other’s body.

     Regina wrapped her leg around Emma’s waist and bucked her hips against Emma’s, wanting much more than just passionate kisses. Emma smirked into the kiss as she felt Regina’s center hot against her lower stomach. She pressed herself more firmly against Regina, allowing the mayor to trust her hips forward and apply much needed pressure to her wet sex. She moaned, moving her lips to Emma’s neck, licking and sucking at her pulse point. She felt the vibrations of Emma’s chuckle against her lips, before she heard Emma say, “Regina, we should stop.” The brunette shook her head as she kissed her way up to Emma’s ear and nibbled gently. Emma involuntarily released a quiet whimper before pulling away and looking into Regina’s darkened eyes. “Really though. We should stop.” She smiled as she watched Regina stick out her bottom lip and uncharacteristically pout. “Now, that’s not fair,” she said before giving her a chaste kiss. “You’re very intoxicated and drunk consent isn’t actually consent. So let’s just get you to bed, okay? We’ll see how you feel about all of this in the morning.”

     Regina dropped her leg back to the floor and glared at Emma. “Fine, but I’m mad at you about it.” She took Emma’s hand in hers and started her way up the stairs. She lost her footing for a moment and Emma scooted in next to her, placing her hand on Regina’s back and allowing her to lean on her for much needed support. Regina smiled at her graciously and continued up the stairs and into Regina’s room.

     Emma turned toward the dresser against the wall and found Regina’s silk pajamas neatly folded on top. As she grabbed them and turned to face the center of the room, she saw Regina clad only in her red lace bra and underwear, clothes strewn across the floor. Eyes wide, she swallowed hard and tore her eyes away from the goddess in front of her, looking to the floor and extending the pajamas in Regina’s direction. Hearing quiet footsteps coming near, she focused her gaze on the ground until she felt a finger gently lift her chin. Regina bit her lip and pressed her nearly naked body against Emma’s as she whispered, “Is something wrong, Sheriff?”

“N-n-no. Nope. Nothing is wrong,” Emma responded. “I just… uh. I forgot that I… uh… left my stuff at the station and um… I should get it like right now. So, uh… I’m going to head out.” She tried to walk past Regina, but didn’t move far before Regina’s hand was placed firmly against her chest.

     “Oh c’mon. Can’t you just get it tomorrow?” Regina purred, grabbing the collar of Emma’s leather jacket, and pulling her flush against her body once again. She attached her lips to Emma’s neck, kissing and licking the soft skin she found there. She kissed her way up to Emma’s ear and nibbled it gently before whispering, “Stay with me.”

     Emma’s eyes had fluttered shut and her hands started to glide over the smooth olive skin eagerly presented to her. She caressed every curve, as Regina gently assaulted her porcelain skin. “I can’t have sex with you, Regina,” Emma said reluctantly. “Although I really want to,” she added as she squeezed her thighs together. She could feel the dampness of her own underwear and could feel the heat coiling low in her abdomen. “Listen,” she began again, taking Regina’s face gently between her hands. “We can talk about this in the morning, okay? You’re killing me here. Just please get your pajamas on and get in bed, and I promise to stay so we can talk about this in the morning. Do we have a deal?”

     The proposition saddened Regina, but she reluctantly complied. “That’s fine, I guess.” She grabbed the pajamas and dressed herself before sliding Emma’s jacket off her shoulders. “You can at least be more comfortable when you sleep tonight.” She then slid Emma’s belt from her jeans and tossed it on the floor with the rest of the discarded clothing.

“Well thank you.” Emma chuckled. “How considerate of you. I think you just wanted to undress me.”

     The brunette winked, and replied, “Well, as much as you would allow,” before placing a soft kiss on her cheek, grabbing her hand, and pulling her toward the bed. Regina had crawled in bed first, leaving plenty of space for Emma. Emma scooted in beside her and wrapped her arms around Regina, bringing her head to her chest and weaving her fingers in brunette hair.

     Regina reached her hand under Emma’s tank top, and gently drew circles with her fingers. Emma played with long brunette locks until Regina’s breathing became slow and even and the fingers on her stomach had stopped moving. Emma paused for a moment, ensuring that Regina was asleep, before slipping out of her grasp, quietly grabbing her things, and heading toward the door.

“Goodnight, Regina,” she whispered, before quietly closing the door and heading down the stairs.


	2. Mistakes

     Regina awoke in the morning with a terrible throbbing in her head. She groaned and rolled over in bed, stretching her limbs. The sheets where she had moved felt cold, but she could smell the faint scent of vanilla and something else, something she couldn’t describe as anything other than Emma. Quickly opening her eyes, she groaned again as the sunlight streaming in through the window peeked through the curtains and right into her sensitive eyes. She squinted and raised her hand to shield her vision as she surveyed the room around her. Emma was nowhere to be seen, her jacket and belt having been gathered from the floor. Regina’s memories from the night before were rather hazy, and for a moment, she questioned whether or not the whole encounter had been a dream. Grabbing the pillow from beside her, she brought it to her nose and smelled it, inhaling the very scent that she could associate only with Emma. It definitely wasn’t a dream.

     Rolling in the opposite direction toward her nightstand, she saw a glass of water and a bottle of ibuprofen she could only assume had been set there by Emma, knowing very well that she had not put those there herself. Thankful for at least one kind act from the blonde, she popped two into her mouth and washed them down with a large gulp of water. Setting the glass back down on the nightstand, she rested her back against her headboard and took a moment to gather her thoughts.

     Her memory of Emma staying with her in bed had not been a dream, so her audacious move to kiss her had not been either. _‘Why didn’t she stay? Was I too aggressive?’_ she asked herself. _‘God, I wish I could remember it all. Maybe I said something to make her upset. Or maybe she had somewhere to be and I don’t remember her telling me.’_ Thinking that Emma may have left a reason for her departure, Regina checked the nightstand for any sign of a note. Not finding one, she checked her phone, hoping that maybe there was a text, but found none. She sighed heavily, feeling tears welling in her eyes. Trying hard to remember all that happened that evening, she remembered their initial kiss on the couch and then heading upstairs. There was a hole in her memory before she remembered standing half-dressed, kissing Emma’s neck and asking her to stay. Emma had promised to stay, despite being reluctant, and then they cuddled in bed. Had her assault on Emma been too much? Was Emma simply trying to coax Regina into bed so she could leave the whole time? Tears ran freely down her face as she allowed her guilt to wash over her. Their friendship was no doubt ruined, and it was all Regina’s fault. If she had only kept her mouth shut and not drank more than she could handle, none of this would have ever happened. Sniffling and wiping her tears with the back of her hand, she decided she needed to pull herself together. Although it didn’t make it sting any less, she had honestly expected this heartbreak. She would attempt to mend their friendship by blaming it all on the alcohol. Things would probably still be awkward between them, but at least she could salvage their professional relationship at the very least.

     Standing and heading toward the closet, she grabbed a cozy bath robe and headed downstairs. She was much in need of a cup of coffee. Feeling her bare feet on the cold wood floor, she headed toward the kitchen. As she entered the room, she immediately noticed that the coffee pot was on, and that there was a full pot of coffee waiting for her. Highly confused, Regina took in the rest of the kitchen, noticing that nothing else seemed to have been touched or out of place. Then she heard the front door open. She glanced at the clock on the microwave and noted that Henry wasn’t to be home for another two hours or so.

     Into the kitchen walked Emma with a bag of groceries. “Oh, good morning, Regina,” she said, smiling warmly at her. “I hadn’t expected you to be up yet or else I would’ve left a note. Here,” she continued, setting the groceries down on the counter and pointing toward the barstool seat. “Go ahead and have a seat. I’ll grab your coffee for you.” As Emma grabbed a mug and poured the coffee, adding only cream, just the way Regina liked it, she said, “I wanted to make sure you got something to eat when you woke up. You had quite a bit to drink last night and need some quality food so I got stuff to make pancakes. Is that alright?” Regina’s brow furrowed in confusion, but she nodded silently, sitting on the barstool and graciously accepting the perfectly made coffee being slid across the counter to her. “How are you feeling this morning?” Emma asked, beginning to mix the pancake batter ingredients together.

“Quite terrible, actually. But thank you for the ibuprofen,” she replied.

     Emma radiantly smiled at her once again and continued making breakfast. Cooking the pancakes on the griddle and bacon in the next pan, she seemed to be right at home making breakfast for them. She remained facing the stove as she said, “I’m making enough for Henry to have some when he gets back. That kid loves pancakes and bacon.” Regina silently observed the scene before her. Despite having to discover where Regina stored things in her kitchen, Emma seemed to be quite comfortable. Regina, on the other hand, was overwhelmed with emotion. Waking up without Emma next to her had left her steeling herself for bitter disappointment. Now she watched in awe as Emma happily flipped pancakes in her kitchen. The domesticity of it almost seemed natural to Emma and it was unnerving to Regina. It was too good to be true, as Regina had known for years that villains don’t get happy endings. She then spent several minutes that morning in bed reminding herself of that very fact. This wasn’t going to turn into anything at all, and if it did, it wouldn’t last. It was impossible. The Evil Queen and the Savior? What a preposterous idea.

     Regina started to drown in her own thoughts once again, but without alcohol, she was no good at dealing with feelings. Seeing Emma that morning return was a pleasant surprise, one that Regina had somehow managed to turn around. She convinced herself that she needed to put a stop to all of this before she got hurt. She decided that it was better to be alone by her own volition than to have her heart broken in the long run.

     As she opened her mouth to say something, Emma removed her red leather jacket and placed it on a nearby chair, before returning to her task at the stove. Regina’s mouth dropped open slightly as she noticed the dark bruise on Emma’s neck, clearly from Regina marking her. She put her head in her hand as she mumbled, “Shit.”

“What’s wrong?” Emma turned to ask her.

“Your neck,” Regina said, pointing to the left side of her own neck so Emma would know what she was referring to.

“Oh, yeah,” Emma laughed. “I saw that this morning. You sure did a number on me,” she joked.

     Regina wondered where to begin. She figured asking a question that had been on her mind all morning would be a good place to start. She cleared her throat and asked, “So where did you disappear to last night?”

     “Well,” Emma paused for a moment, finding the right way to word what it was that she wanted to say. “I knew you were pretty drunk, so I didn’t want you to wake up and have regrets. I just figured it was best if I slept down here on the couch.” She turned from the stove with a plate of pancakes and a plate of bacon. She then raised her own mug of coffee and took a sip before setting it down and smiling at Regina again.

     “Yes, well,” Regina began, folding her hands very professionally on the counter. Emma shifted awkwardly feeling the change in mood in the kitchen. “I do have regrets, as I don’t normally consume that much alcohol.”

     Emma nodded, not sure where she was going with this. “Right, I’m sure your headache is proof of that.” Her body tensed and she folded her hands around her mug.

“Well, that, and the bruise on your neck.” Regina nodded in her direction, refusing to make eye contact.

“Oh, that’s nothing some cover up can’t fix.” Emma nervously rubbed at the purple marking, suddenly getting a good sense of where this was headed.

     Feeling as though she had to stop beating around the bush, Regina pulled the trigger. “I apologize for my drunken mistakes last evening. Clearly, my inebriation caused me to make questionable choices.”

     Emma felt like she had been sucker punched. She released her mug and leaned her arms against the counter. A wave of hurt and anger washed over her as she spit out, “And by ‘mistakes’, you clearly mean me.” She shook her head and bit the inside of her cheek, fighting the tears that started to well in her eyes. She ran her hand through her hair as she choked out, “Look, I didn’t mean to upset you in any way. I did everything I could to respect you and ensure you that I had no intention of taking advantage of you. But damn, Regina. The only one that made a mistake here was me. I never should have followed you to the staircase. I should have just left.”

“Emma…” Regina tried, suddenly feeling guilty about taking this approach.

     She was interrupted by the front door opening, as Henry came barreling into the kitchen. “Hi, Ma. What are you doing here?” he asked, wrapping his arms around his mother.

     She hugged him tightly and replied, “It was a mistake.” Regina visibly winced at her words. Emma continued, “I forgot that you were with your grandparents and I came over to visit. I made some food anyway.”

“Awesome! Thanks, Ma!” He grabbed a pancake before kissing his other mother on the cheek saying, “Hey, Mom. I’ll be back down. I’m taking my stuff upstairs.” He then sprinted up the stairs, taking them two at a time.

“Emma…” Regina tried again.

“No, Regina. I don’t want to hear it.” Emma grabbed her coat and keys off the chair and turned toward the door. She opened it, stopped, and said, “Just tell Henry I’ll see him later for dinner or something,” before closing the door behind her.


	3. Stubbornness

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! It's explicit for a reason, dears. ;)

     Sometimes, silence can speak louder than words. This time, Emma’s silence was telling Regina quite clearly that she royally fucked up. She gave Emma a few days alone to get her anger and frustration sorted out before trying to contact her. She first tried texting her, simply asking if they could talk. When her text went unanswered for over 24 hours, she tried calling. Only getting the blonde’s voicemail, Regina thought she needed to wait another few days before trying again. Repeating this cycle twice, she began to panic. It had been nearly two weeks since their argument in the kitchen, and Regina hadn’t heard so much as a word from Emma. Even their professional relationship had withered away to nothing. Emma no longer personally brought her paperwork to Regina’s office or showed up with coffee so they could take a break and chat. Instead, she either had David bring the paperwork, or dropped it off with the secretary, avoiding Regina all together. And she hated it. She missed the blonde terribly, but wasn’t quite sure how to fix this if she couldn’t talk to her. So, she decided that if Emma was going to avoid her texts and phone calls, she’d just show up at the Sheriff’s station and capture her undivided attention.

     Walking through the glass doors of the station, Regina’s heels could be heard echoing down the hall. She walked past the holding cells and toward Emma’s office. Finding the blonde sitting at her desk looking at an open file, Regina suddenly felt nervous. Not being fully prepared with what she wanted to say, she cleared her throat and began anyway. “Emma, can we talk for a second?”

“No, Madame Mayor.” Emma replied without even raising her eyes to look at Regina. “We can’t. I’m rather busy.”

Trying to hide the hurt in her eyes, she tried again. “Emma, I just want to try and explain…”

“Regina, just let it go. I get it. You made a mistake.” She stood and grabbed her jacket off the back of her chair and started toward the door. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a job to do.”

“Why are you so damn stubborn?!” Regina called after her, but Emma didn’t turn to acknowledge her words, and continued out the door.

**[X]**

     Sitting at the counter at Granny’s, Regina sipped her coffee. She looked down at her plate of untouched food, not feeling all that hungry. Her stomach had been churning ever since she left the station. Emma was very upset with her and wouldn’t even give her the time to explain. She never meant to hurt her that way. She only wanted to protect herself from another heartbreak. She truly thought it would be better to be alone than to take down her walls and let someone else in to hurt her. But she had been so very wrong. Life without Emma was becoming unbearable. She truly needed the blonde in her life. Not that she didn’t have other friends, as many people accepted the new and improved Regina, but Emma understood her on a different level. Emma saw Regina as someone worth saving from the very beginning. And that understanding was something she was not ready to lose. If only she knew how to keep the blonde from slipping through her fingers.

     “Hi, Regina,” came Snow’s voice as she took the seat beside her. Regina looked up and smiled at her before returning her eyes to her cold food. “Is something wrong?” Snow asked, noticing the melancholy demeanor of the usually put-together mayor.

“No, I’m okay. Just tired, is all,” she replied.

     Snow pressed her lips together in a tight line, contemplating how to approach her differently. “Well,” she started. “I know that our friendship is still rather new, so if you don’t want to talk, that’s truly fine with me. I won’t push. But just know that I’m here for you.” She placed a reassuring hand over Regina’s and smiled warmly at her. Her smile reminded Regina so much of Emma’s smile and Regina couldn’t help but find some comfort in that. She relented, deciding that she could get advice on her situation without actually telling Snow that it was about her daughter.

     Regina took a deep breath before she began. “I seem to have greatly upset a person I truly care about. I admit that I probably didn’t handle the situation well to begin with, but this person will not even allow me a moment to explain myself, nor to apologize. I’m not sure what to do.”

     “Hmm.” Snow stirred her own coffee deep in thought. Then she furrowed her brow and looked to Regina once more before asking, “Does this have anything to do with Emma?”

     Regina was shocked. A slight panic rose in her throat. Had Emma told Snow? If she were to lie and Snow already knew, Regina would look like an idiot. But if Snow was just pulling ideas out of the air to settle her own suspicions, she would be throwing herself under the bus if she told the truth. She settled on diverting the conversation by asking another question. “Why would you ask that?”

     “Well, you and Emma are good friends, and she has been upset lately,” Snow answered. “She hasn’t been out of her new apartment much besides going to work, and as far as she’s said, she’s only been spending time with Henry alone. I just thought that maybe you two had a little spat.” Regina’s cheeks reddened, but the short-haired brunette smiled. “It’s fine, Regina. I know Emma is my daughter, but your arguments are your business.” Regina released a breath she didn’t even realize she had been holding, relishing in the fact that Snow didn’t know the _reason_ for the argument. “Emma can be very stubborn. I’m sure that you just have to make her sit down and listen for a minute. And then if she still wants to be mad, let her be. But I’m sure it’ll all be fine.”

     Regina nodded in agreement. “She is very stubborn, that’s for sure,” she said as she smiled for the first time that day. Poking her elbow jokingly into Snow’s side, she added, “I think stubbornness is a Charming family trait.”

     Snow laughed and said, “I don’t think I can really argue you on that one.” She took another sip of her coffee as an idea popped into her head. “Hey, I think Emma should be home from her shift by now and is probably at her apartment. Why don’t you just go talk to her now?”

     The thought of trying to talk to Emma again today suddenly put Regina on edge, but she did her best to portray calmness. “I have to be home when Henry gets out of school.”

     “He can stay with us for a while!” she replied excitedly. “Go ahead, Regina. Now’s the perfect time. She won’t leave her own apartment just to avoid a conversation. I’m sure you can get her to listen.”

Regina ran a hand nervously through her hair. “Fine,” she relented. “I’ll try.”

     Snow once again covered Regina’s hand with hers in a form of comfort. “I hope everything goes well for you, really. Emma is much happier when you’re around.” The mayor smiled warmly at her in return, thankful for the support she received before standing and heading toward the door.

**[X]**

     The five-minute drive to Emma’s apartment seemed like an eternity. At the very least, it was certainly enough time for Regina to contemplate turning around and cutting her losses. But something Snow said to her kept her in the right direction.

“Emma is much happier when you’re around.”

     Regina pulled into the apartment complex parking lot and walked toward the stairs. She could hear her own heartbeat in her ears and her breathing had rapidly increased. She hated sharing her feelings. She hated putting herself out there for someone else to exploit. But Regina would not be able to live with herself if she didn’t at least try to make up for the hurt she caused Emma.

     She found herself standing outside Emma’s door before she knew what had happened. As if someone else had control over her body, her arm raised and knocked three times on the door. Hearing footsteps coming near, Regina swallowed the panic rising in her throat, as she was not prepared for what she wanted to say yet. The door knob turned and the brunette wrung her fingers together in front of her. The door opened and there stood the beautiful Emma Swan, dressed in pajama shorts and a tank top.

     Emma did her best to hide the hurt she felt by simply seeing Regina, but before she had the chance to react to the realization of who was at her door, Regina blurted out, “It wasn’t a mistake, Emma.” For the moment, that seemed to be enough to keep the blonde from just slamming the door in her face. So, she continued. “What I mean to say is, _you_ were not a mistake.”

     The sheriff opened her mouth to say something, but Regina held up her hand and stopped her. “Please let me finish. I have much to say.” Emma swept her hands in front of her, palm up, symbolically presenting her attention to Regina and allowing her to continue. She folded her arms across her chest and leaned against the door jamb, listening attentively.

     Regina shuffled her feet for a moment, cleared her throat, and continued. “I’m not one to express my true feelings. I have walls around my heart higher than Mount Everest. I’m terrified of heartbreak and I believed that I’d much rather be alone than ever allow anyone to hurt me. But with you… With you, it’s different.” Emma’s stoic features softened, as she continued to listen. “I hadn’t meant to say or do any of the things I did that night. Not that I didn’t want to, but had I not been intoxicated, I wouldn’t have had the courage to. And when I woke in the morning to an empty bed, I had convinced myself that villains don’t get their happy endings and that I’d rather guard my heart than allow myself to fall for you any harder than I already have.” Emma unfolded her arms, shifting under the full weight of Regina’s words.

     The brunette ran a hand through her hair and looked to the ground, her nerves catching up to her again. She was tempted to stop and run, but she had already said too much. It was all or nothing. “I only said that kissing you was a mistake because I was afraid that anything more would ruin what we have, since any pursuit of my happiness will only end in disaster. I thought that if I could pretend it was all a drunken mistake, I could save what we had and not have to worry about whatever consequences the future holds for me. But I hurt you and I’m so very sorry for that. I never meant to hurt you.” Tears welled in her eyes as she tried to swallow the lump in her throat. All her feelings, the feelings she tried so hard to suppress for so long, came rushing to the surface. She was no longer admitting her feelings solely to Emma, but herself as well. Tears streamed steadily down her face as she continued, “I need you in my life, Emma. Happy endings be damned. If things don’t end well, at least I will have enjoyed what I could. I’ll accept…”

“Regina.”

“… whatever this life will throw at me for being a villain, but please just give me one more chance to redeem myself. I promise that I…”

“Regina.”

“…won’t hurt you again. I know that I don’t deserve a third chance, but I…”

     Knowing that Regina was too engrossed in her confession of feelings to hear her, Emma silenced Regina in the only other way she saw fit. She took Regina’s face gently between her hands and kissed her soundly, catching Regina mid-sentence, reminiscent of their first kiss. The awkward and sloppy nature of the kiss only lasted for a moment before Regina caught on, sliding her arms around Emma’s neck and pulling her closer, returning the kiss.

     Pulling away, Emma slid her thumb across Regina’s damp cheeks, erasing the traces of her tears. With a small sniffle, Regina said, “I promise that I'm a better kisser than that. You just caught me in the middle of my sentence.” Emma laughed, kissing the tip of Regina’s nose, before replying, “Hmm. Where have I heard that before?”

     Emma interlocked their fingers and led Regina into the apartment. Reaching the living room, Emma led Regina to the couch where they both sat down. Silence filled the room, neither woman knowing what to say. Emma broke the silence first. “I need you in my life too, Regina.” She rubbed her thumb gently over the back of Regina’s hand, searching her eyes for any more signs of insecurity, but for the moment, Regina was perfectly content. Sure, she couldn’t see the future. There may be some sort of heartbreak in the days or months ahead, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t enjoy the present.

Smiling, Regina said, “I see your little love bite is gone.”

Emma rubbed at the side of her neck where the dark bruise used to be. “Yeah, that’s a shame, isn’t it?”

“Oh?” Regina smiled wickedly as she moved closer to Emma, her mood shifting dramatically. “You liked it there?”

“I did, in fact.” She smiled in return. “It was a lovely reminder of you sucking on my neck in only your red lace bra and underwear.”

     The brunette chuckled as she straddled Emma, pressing her back into the couch. Emma’s hands immediately went to Regina’s ass, pulling her closer. She could feel the heat radiating from Regina’s core as she pressed it against her stomach. “I can mark you again, Swan, if that’s what you’d like.”

Emma leaned up and kissed Regina soundly before answering, “If that means I get to feel your mouth on me again, then absolutely.”

     With that, Regina crashed their lips together once more in a heated kiss. She parted her lips and licked the blonde’s bottom lip, begging for entrance. Emma eagerly opened her mouth, her tongue darting out and battling Regina’s for control. She gave Regina’s ass a gentle squeeze before running her hands up the smooth skin of her back, and then down again. Their kiss increased in passion, all teeth and tongue, as Regina began to rock her hips, pressing her core against Emma’s thighs and stomach. Emma moaned, leaving Regina’s lips to lick and kiss her way down Regina’s jawline to the soft patch of skin just behind her ear, nibbling gently. Regina moaned deep in her throat and Emma smirked against her neck. Nimble fingers began to undo the buttons on Regina’s blouse. Growing impatient, Regina ripped the shirt open, sending buttons flying across the living room floor. “Eager, are we?” Emma asked, smiling. Not waiting for an answer, she moved her lips to place wet kisses in Regina’s cleavage, all the while reaching behind her to undo the clasp of her bra. The moment the brunette’s bra fell from her body, Emma’s lips were on her, kissing and licking at the newly exposed skin.

    Regina’s moans grew louder as Emma’s warm mouth enveloped her hardened nipple. She grazed it with her teeth, before flicking her tongue over it and then taking it back into her mouth fully. That alone was driving the brunette crazy. Emma slid her hands between them and unbuttoned Regina’s slacks. Sliding her hand inside the waistband, she cupped Regina’s wet center through her black lace underwear, and both women moaned at the contact. Regina bucked her hips against Emma’s hand, but Emma had a difficult time reaching where she wanted most with Regina’s slacks still on.

     Emma flicked her wrist, and Regina was surrounded by a cloud of white smoke. As it dissipated, Regina saw that she had been magically stripped of her clothing. Not wasting any time, Emma dragged her finger through Regina’s slick folds, eliciting an animalistic growl to rise from her throat. Her head fell back as Emma naturally lubricated her finger in Regina’s own wet heat and then drew lazy circles around her hardened clit. She watched with wide eyes as the beautiful woman on her lap reacted to her light touches. The brunette bucked her hips in an attempt to get more contact, but Emma grasped her hip, slowing her movements. She wanted to take her time with Regina.

     “Emma, please…” Regina whimpered. Emma pulled her fingers away from her dripping wet sex and Regina whined at the loss of contact. She then froze and watched with wide eyes as Emma brought her fingers to her mouth and tasted her. The blonde’s eyes drifted shut and she let out a low moan as another surge of arousal washed over her. As she opened them again, she saw that Regina’s eyes had darkened even more as her arousal took over her. She wrapped her fingers around Emma’s wrist and guided her hand back down to her aching core before she grabbed the back of Emma’s head and kissed her hard, tasting herself.

     Taking the not so subtle hint, Emma gently pinched Regina’s clit, eliciting another moan, before dragging her finger once again through wet folds to her entrance. Wasting no time, Emma entered her with two fingers, pumping in and out at a steady pace, while her tongue lavished one nipple and then the other in turn. Regina threw her head back in ecstasy, gripping on to Emma’s shoulders like they were her lifeline. The blonde rubbed her palm against Regina’s clit, while twisting her fingers inside her, hitting the ribbed patch of flesh that she quickly learned drove Regina crazy. She could feel her walls clenching around her fingers and knew that her lover was close. Bringing Regina to the precipice of climax, Emma slowed her fingers to an almost torturously slow pace. The brunette’s grip on Emma’s shoulders tightened as she groaned her displeasure. “Regina, look at me,” Emma said softly, still moving her fingers very slowly. Regina made eye contact and Emma began to increase her pace as she added a third finger and continued, “I want to see your beautiful face when you come for me.” Maintaining eye contact, Regina rocked her hips in rhythm with Emma’s thrusts, quickly returning to the edge of bliss. Her breathing was labored and there was a thin sheen of sweat on her body as her walls tightened around Emma’s talented fingers. Within moments, Regina was climaxing, burying her face in Emma’s neck, moaning her name.

     Emma didn’t still her fingers until she was sure Regina rode out her high. Slowly pulling her fingers from within Regina, she wiped her fingers on her shorts as best she could and held Regina close to her. One hand rubbed lazy circles on the smooth skin of her back, while the other played with the long brunette locks resting on her shoulder. Once she finally recovered, Regina peppered light kisses along Emma’s neck to her ear, where she nibbled gently, before kissing along her jaw line and then back to her lips. She kissed her softly, before whispering, “You, my dear, are truly amazing.”

     Emma looked lovingly into the chocolate brown eyes of her lover, and replied, “As are you.” Pulling her gaze away for a moment, Emma looked down at her hand on Regina’s thigh and sighed quietly before saying, “So we should probably talk about our feelings and stuff, right? Like we have to figure out what all of this means?”

     Regina covered Emma’s hand with her own in the same form of comfort that Snow had shown her early. “I’m not sure if you were paying attention or not, but I did the whole ‘sharing my feelings’ thing on your door step. So, it’s your turn, dear.” Emma smiled at Regina’s playful banter, but her smiled faded once again as she allowed herself to fall deep into thought. The brunette placed her finger under Emma’s chin and gently lifted her gaze. Placing a sweet and gentle kiss on her lips, Regina said, “There’s nothing to be afraid of, Emma. I just want to know what you want from all of this. And if you aren’t sure what you want this to be yet, that’s perfectly fine, too. Your feelings matter as much as mine do, so feel free to express them. Or don’t if that’s not what you wish to do.”

     Emma brought Regina’s knuckles up to her lips and kissed them gently. She smiled from behind her hand and joked, “I’m not that one that has a hard time just saying how I feel, babe. I believe that’s you.” Regina jokingly slapped her arm before Emma continued, “Which is fine. I just hope we get to the point where you can trust me enough to tell me how you really feel, good or bad.” Regina nodded in agreement.

“Alright, outspoken Sheriff. How do you feel about this?” Regina intertwined her fingers with Emma’s and laid them on her lap.

     Emma bit her bottom lip in thought for a moment before responding, “Well, I know that I want this. I want a relationship with you, Regina.” The Mayor’s smile lit up the room at Emma’s words, but she remained silent and allowed Emma to continue. “The only thing that worries me is the reaction my parents will have when they find out. I know that other people’s opinions shouldn’t matter, but I just think I need some time to figure out how I want to tell them. Will it be a problem if we keep this between us for a bit? Just until I figure it out.”

     “That’s not a problem at all, dear.” She kissed her softly. “But you know what is a problem?” Emma furrowed her brow in confusion, as Regina smiled, licked her lips, and continued, “I didn’t get to take care of you yet.” With a flick of her wrist, Emma was magically stripped and Regina guided her to lie on her back on the couch, straddling her hips. She kissed her passionately, before adding, “I guess that just means I can’t leave you another love bite souvenir.” Kissing her way down Emma’s chest, she stopped in her cleavage, sucking hard at the porcelain skin, adding, “Well, at least not where anyone else can see it.”


	4. Accidents Happen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the wait! It's finals week so I'm trying to keep up. But here it is! Enjoy!

     At the sound of her blaring alarm clock, Regina woke and shut it off, groaning to herself. Her body protested her waking up at this hour with little sleep, but she had to get Henry off to school before work. She pressed her feet to the floor and stifled a yawn, before reaching over and checking her phone. She noticed two messages, one from the evening prior and one from this morning.

 **Emma:** I know you’re probably asleep by now, but I just wanted to say that I had a really great time tonight. Maybe next time, Henry can sleep over his friend’s house so we can be alone for a bit ;) I look forward to another movie date. Goodnight, babe.

     Regina couldn’t help but smile, remembering the evening prior. She had asked Emma to come spend a few hours with her while Henry was working on a group project with his friends. The two women curled up on the couch together and put on a movie. But if someone were to ask Regina about the movie, she wouldn’t have been able to tell them a damn thing. She spent most of the evening lying in front of Emma on the couch, kissing her passionately. She’d stop occasionally, just to look at her or stroke her soft cheek. She’d run her fingers through golden locks and simply admire the beauty that was Emma Swan. Emma had teased her, asking if she was going to turn around and watch any of the movie, but Regina responded, “I have a much more captivating sight to keep my attention this evening.”

     “Then that’s just one more thing we have in common,” Emma replied before positioning herself on top of Regina. One kiss led to another, pieces of clothing slowly making their way to the floor. And then the phone rang. Henry had called Regina to let her know he was done with his project. After redressing, the women shared a kiss goodbye and headed their separate ways.

     After making sure Henry was in bed, Emma decided to call Regina. Although she never truly enjoyed long phone conversations, Regina talked to her on the phone for hours, completely losing track of time. They talked about silly little things like favorite movies and future date ideas well into the night. Once Regina realized what time it was, she said, “Goodnight” and went to sleep, clearly missing Emma’s last text.

Bringing herself back to the present, Regina read the text from this morning.

 **Emma:** Good morning, Beautiful.

 **Regina:** Good morning, dear.

Regina placed her phone on the bathroom counter while she washed her face and brushed her teeth. Moments later, she heard her phone vibrate.

 **Emma:** Just ‘dear’? Is someone cranky this morning?

 **Regina:** No, I’m just tired. I didn’t get my beauty rest. Someone had me on the phone all night.

 **Emma:** Damn, who was that lucky gal? Besides, you don’t need beauty rest. You’re already the most beautiful woman in all the realms.

     Regina blushed and smiled to herself. Their conversations had always been full of witty banter, but since the beginning of their relationship a few months ago, it often turned into flirting. Regina still liked to play hard to get sometimes, but she knew Emma was highly used to her sarcasm and wit.

 **Regina:** Flattery won’t get you anywhere.

     Returning to her closet to dress herself in a tight black pencil skirt and red blouse, she ignored her phone for a moment. She found her jacket and heels, finishing off her attire before she returned to the bathroom to do her make-up. Applying it in record time, she returned to her bedside and checked her messages.

 **Emma:** Damn. What about coffee?

 **Regina:** I’m in desperate need of coffee. That might get you laid.

     She smirked as she sent her last response. It wasn’t often that she gave into sexual flirting, and Emma had told her before how often it caught her off guard to get a response like that.

 **Emma:** Wow. Talking about getting laid this early in the morning? You really do need your coffee.

Before Regina could think of a witty response, her phone vibrated again.

 **Emma:** Good thing I’m standing at your door with some. Is Henry at school yet? ;)

     Not bothering to respond to the text, Regina headed down the stairs and opened her front door to see her beautiful girlfriend, smiling brilliantly with two coffees in a drink carrier. “Emma, why didn’t you just knock?” Regina laughed, stepping aside, and letting her in.

     Emma looked at her in mock confusion, as she answered, “Well, what would be the fun in that?” Regina laughed as she graciously accepted the coffee she was handed. She took a sip before setting it down on the side table.

The sounds of footsteps could be heard from the top of the steps. Henry came down the stairs, saying “Hey, Ma. What are you doing here?”

“I thought that maybe I could take you to school today. Is that okay?” she asked both Henry and Regina.

“Yeah!” Henry answered. “I just have to finish getting ready.” He headed into the kitchen to toast a bagel.

     Waiting until he was out of ear shot, Emma leaned close to Regina and whispered, “Hey, so are you sure you still want to have dinner with my parents tonight? If you aren’t ready to tell them, I understand.”

     Regina gently placed her hand on Emma’s cheek. “No, Sweetheart. It’s fine. I’d like to tell them. It’s been over two months already. Don’t you think that if we wait much longer, they’ll catch on before we tell them? You don’t want them to get upset.”

     Emma nodded her agreement, gently covering Regina’s hand with her own. Hearing the toaster pop, the two women released their tiny embrace and stepped apart from each other, placing a respectable amount of space between them. Henry came walking into the foyer, bagel in hand and backpack in the other. He kissed his brunette mother on the cheek before heading to the door. “Bye, Mom. See you later.”

Regina smiled at him. “Don’t forget that we’re having dinner with your grandparents tonight, so don’t make any plans.”

“I know. I remembered this time.”

“Okay, good. Have a good day at school, honey.” She waved a small goodbye before folding her arms over her chest.

Emma called to him, “Go ahead and get in the car. I’ll be there in a minute.” She stepped inside the foyer and closed the door behind her.

“I hope we don’t upset him at dinner tonight,” Regina sighed.

     Emma wrapped her arms around Regina, pulling her into a tight hug. “He’s grown up into such a respectable young man. He won’t be upset. If anything, he probably already has his suspicions. I mean, I do come over almost every time he leaves.”

     Regina smiled, wrapping her arms around Emma’s neck. “That’s because I can’t keep my hands off you.” She wiggled her eyebrows in a jokingly seductive manner and Emma couldn’t help but laugh.

     “This is because of the coffee, isn’t it?” She smirked before leaning in and kissing her. Reluctantly pulling away, she said, “Sadly, I don’t have time for you to repay that favor now. I have to get our son to school and then get to work or my boss will kill me.”

“Yes, you do. You can’t afford to be late again, Sherriff. People will start to think I’m giving you preferential treatment.” Regina joked, placing her best serious look on her face.

“You’re right, Madame Mayor. I don’t need preferential treatment in the workplace. Just in bed.” She winked at Regina before turning to the door.

     Regina reached out and grabbed Emma’s wrist before she could leave, and Emma turned to face her. “Emma, I….” She swallowed hard. She couldn’t figure out why it seemed to be so damn hard for her to say those three words. They were simply words, yet held so much meaning. She had tried before, but the words just wouldn’t come out. And Regina wanted to say them more than anything. She wanted Emma to know that she loved her, but she was afraid that the moment she said those words aloud, her happy ending would be taken from her. Her palms began to sweat and her cheeks reddened.

     Emma smiled sympathetically, pulling Regina close to her. “Don’t worry about it, Regina. Don’t rush. I’m here to stay. I’ve got all the time in the world.” Regina kissed her softly, yet passionately, showing all of the love that she wished she could voice. Emma understood how broken Regina felt. She understood that Cora engrained deep inside of her that love was only weakness, and she understood the obstacles Regina had overcome to even make the progress that they had thus far. Dinner with the Charmings was going to be another big step in their relationship, and Emma didn’t expect Regina to overwhelm herself all at once. Gently pulling away, she rested their foreheads together, and whispered, “I know.” As their breaths mingled between them, Regina’s eyes filled with tears. God, she loved this woman. Emma kissed her one final time before wiping away a stray tear. “I’ve got to get our son to school, but I promise to see you at lunch.” She opened the door and looked back at the brunette one last time. She smiled her ten-volt smile that warmed Regina’s heart before closing the door behind her.

**[X]**

     Brushing a stray hair from her eyes and tucking it behind her ear, Regina focused her attention on finishing yet another stack of paperwork. She had completed her first stack in time for lunch with Emma, but seeing as how the blonde was late yet again, she decided not to sit there idly and began on the next one. She intended to take a break when Emma arrived, and then continue once again when she left. Looking up from her task to check the time, she realized that Emma was well over 20 minutes late. Biting her bottom lip in thought, she tried desperately to remember if Emma had mentioned that she had other obligations. Not remembering any, she checked her phone for the umpteenth time, ensuring that Emma had not contacted her.

     Wondering where her blonde beauty could be, she swiped open her phone and dialed her number from memory, having dialed it so many times before. She rested the phone between her shoulder and her ear to free up her hands. Listening to the ring of the phone, she piled her completed paperwork into a neat stack and started to organize the second pile.

“Hello?” she heard a familiar voice say on the other end, but it wasn’t Emma.

     “Snow?” Regina asked, concern lacing her voice. Snow sounded stuffy, as if she had been crying and her voice was heavy with sadness. “Snow, what’s wrong? Where’s Emma?” Regina now had the phone in her hand again, paperwork forgotten.

“Emma, she…” Snow sniffled, trying to pull herself together. “Emma was in a terrible car accident.”

    The world around Regina froze. Her face paled, her hands began to shake, sweat coating her palms and brow. Her stomach dropped and panic rose in her throat in the form of bile, threatening to spill from her mouth at any moment. Her heartbeat in her ears was the only sound she heard. _‘My Emma…’_ was all Regina could think to herself as the shock rendered her speechless for a moment. Her shaking hand covered her mouth as she stared off into the distance trying to digest the information relayed to her.

“Regina?” Snow called through the phone, ensuring she hadn’t lost connection.

“Oh, God…” Regina swallowed the vomit rising in her throat as she asked, “Is she okay? Was she hurt? What happened?”

     “We don’t know yet.” Snow sniffled again. “She was unconscious when the medics pulled her from the car. They’re doing testing now to find the extent of her injuries. David and I are waiting for the doctor to return. We…”

     “I’ll be there in a moment,” Regina interrupted. She hung up the phone, quickly calling Kathryn. She explained that there was an emergency and that Henry would need to be brought to the hospital as soon as he was out of school, as she would not be home when he arrived. Kathryn happily agreed to help and hung up. Knowing there was only one hospital in Storybrooke, she focused her attention as best she could on Storybrooke General. With tears welling in her eyes and a lump in her throat, she flicked her wrist and magicked herself to the main lobby of the hospital.

Not even taking a moment to control her emotions, Regina practically sprinted to the front desk. “Where is Emma Swan?” she asked.

Startled, the woman at the front desk jumped, then answered, “I’m sorry, but we can’t give out that information, Madame Mayor.”

“Excuse me?! And why the hell not?!” she raged. Her magic was pulsing in her veins, her brown eyes now swirling with flecks of purple and gold. Her hands were balled into fists at her sides as she bit back the tears threatening to fall.

The woman’s face reddened. “Ma’am, I’m sorry, but you’re not family, nor a spouse. I’m not entitled to give out that information.”

“Damnit!” she yelled, slamming her hands on the counter as tears streamed steadily down her cheeks. “I just want to know where my girlfriend is! I need to know that she’s okay! Just tell me something!”

     A small hand grasped her bicep firmly and pulled her away from the desk. She spun around quickly to see Snow, eyes red and puffy from crying, with a gentle smile on her face. “C’mon, Regina. Let’s go for a walk.”Regina immediately calmed at the sight of her friend, knowing that Snow was her best hope at getting information. She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, taking a moment to collect herself. Her magic fizzled and retreated deep within herself, at least for the time being.

“Snow,” Regina pleaded. “Please tell me you know something.”

     Snow fixed her gaze on the ground as she walked, her arm intertwined with Regina’s, held at her side, seeking comfort in the small embrace. “Well, we know that she hasn’t been awake since the accident. She hit her head pretty hard. They’re doing tests to see if there is any internal bleeding.” A stray tear rolled down Snow’s cheek, and Regina’s gut twisted inside of her. She had been so selfish up until that moment, thinking only of her own pain. She gave Snow’s arm a gentle squeeze and offered the best comfort she could under the circumstances, as her own tears were threatening her resolve. “Her head is their main concern,” she continued. “She does have a few broken ribs and a dislocated shoulder, but Whale isn’t too concerned. He said those particular injuries should heal within a few weeks.” Regina nodded her understanding, using her free hand to wipe away her tears.

     “So, let me ask you something,” Snow began, mimicking Regina’s action and wiping her tears. “You and Emma are dating?” Snow had said it so calmly, like it wasn’t a shock to her in the slightest. Regina cursed herself for her temper, as her cheeks reddened. She ran a hand nervously through her hair, as she avoided eye contact. She hadn’t realized the other woman was behind her when she had her emotional outburst. Knowing they were going to tell the Charmings anyway, she didn’t see the point in hiding it any longer, as Emma was just as prepared as she for Snow and David to know.

“Yes, we are. We have been for a little over two months now.”

     “Oh, so I was aware almost the entire time. I thought you had been dating longer than I had my suspicions.” Regina’s eyes snapped up to meet Snow’s. Snow pulled her slightly to the side and the two women sat down on a nearby bench, taking a moment to talk before they headed back to the waiting room with David.

“You knew? For how long?” Regina asked, confusion evident on her face.

     “Well, of course I didn’t know for sure,” Snow began, fiddling with her shirt. “I just had my suspicions. Emma isn’t very good at lying and I saw the uh… evidence,” she pointed to her neck before continuing, “after one of the nights you spent together.” Regina broke eye contact and blushed, nervously playing with her hands. “From then on, it was mostly just a series of coincidences that seemed to be too convenient. Any time Henry happened to be going to a friend’s house or spending the night with David and I, Emma was gone and not answering her phone. And the two of you both seemed to be happier.” She poked Regina jokingly in the side and added, “Plus, your little glances to one another are not as subtle as you think.” Regina squeezed the bridge of her nose to release some of the pressure in her head.

“Snow, we meant to tell you sooner. Tonight, at dinner, in fact. We weren’t trying to hide anything from you. We just wanted to be sure ourselves before we told anyone else.”

     Her eyes met Snow’s and she saw nothing but understanding and compassion. “Regina, I’m not going to lie and say that I wasn’t sort of shocked at first. I just didn’t see it coming. But never once was I disapproving, nor was David. We both just want our daughter happy, and we’re thankful that she found that happiness in someone we all truly care about.” Regina smiled at Snow’s words, grateful for their acceptance. She then raised an eyebrow.

“David knows too?”

Snow laughed. “Of course, David knows. We talk about our daughter’s love life.”

     Regina visibly winced. _Love._ There was that word again. That word that she had wanted to say to Emma that very morning, and couldn’t muster the courage to do so. Regina buried her head in her hands, the tears she had been holding back falling freely now as a violent sob racked her body.

“Oh, Regina, what’s wrong?” Snow rubbed smooth circles over her back with her hand, resting the other on her leg. “What did I say?”

     Regina picked up her head, wiping at the tears to no avail, as they just kept falling. “I never got to tell her that I love her. Oh, God. What if I never get the chance? What if she doesn’t wake up? Snow, she doesn’t know that I love her because I was too afraid to say it.”

     Snow wrapped her arms around Regina, allowing her to lean against her for support, rubbing soothing circles on her back, her sobs shaking her body violently. Wiping a tear of her own, Snow soothed her with her words. “Emma is going to be okay. She’s so strong. She’s going to recover, I know it.”

     Once Regina’s sobs had stopped, she sat up apologizing for falling apart like that. Snow assured her that there was no reason to apologize. A comfortable silence fell over the two women, as they each became engrossed in their own thoughts. Snow’s phone beeped, interrupting the silence. She retrieved it from her purse and looked at the text message she received. She said to Regina, “It’s David. Emma is out of testing.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uh oh... I hope you're not too upset with me. Reviews are wonderful and I'll have the next chapter up shortly.


	5. Memories

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well if you're here, you can't be too mad at me for the ending of the last chapter. I hope this makes up for all your struggles. :) Thank you for being here!

     The two women paced quickly down the hall and around a few bends before reaching the waiting room where David and Dr. Whale awaited them. As they approached, David held his arm out to wrap around Snow’s shoulder, while he gave a nod and a small smile in Regina’s direction to acknowledge her presence, but not stop Whale from giving them news. Once everyone was present and attentive, Whale began, “Although there is some nasty bruising, Emma does not have any internal bleeding.” The group let out a collective, relieved sighed. “However,” he continued, “the bruising may have caused some damage.”

“What do you mean ‘may have’?” David asked.

“And what damage?” Snow added.

     Regina wrung her fingers together in front of her, doing her best to remain calm. She couldn’t afford to have another outburst, but she could feel her magic tingling in her fingers once again. “That’s the thing," the doctor continued. "We can’t be sure.” David and Snow both opened their mouths to speak, but Whale put a hand up, asking for a moment to finish. “Brain injuries can be tricky. From what I can tell, Emma has very minimal brain injury. She’ll probably have headaches and nausea, maybe slight memory loss.”

“Memory loss?!” Regina shouted at him. Her magic pulsed in her veins, her heartbeat sounding louder than ever in her ears.

     “Let me finish.” Whale said, irritated at having been interrupted again. “She may not have any memory loss at all. And if she does, it will only be temporary. When she wakes, see what she remembers before you go overwhelming her with information. It’s a process. But don’t berate her with questions either. Her brain needs to rest. Let her believe what her mind tells her for the time being. Only time will tell the extent of her injuries. I’ll know more when she’s awake.”

“So basically, you know nothing,” Regina snapped. Swirls of purple magic flashed within her eyes once again.

“We’re doing the best we can,” Whale bit back.

     Regina’s stomach sunk once again, as her own headache and nausea became prevalent. She closed her eyes and breathed deeply through her nose, then out through her mouth, calming herself. She quietly followed Snow, David, and Whale down the hall to where Emma had been assigned to a room. Whale waved his arm toward the door and said, “She’s still unconscious. We don’t know how long it will be till she wakes up. Until then, I ask that you only enter two at a time. She needs rest.” Then he continued his way down the hall to the front desk.

     Regina folded her arms over her chest in her typical defensive manner before speaking. “Snow, David, go ahead in. She’s your daughter. I’ll wait out here for Henry. Kathryn should have him here any minute.” Both Charmings smiled at her, Snow mouthing “Thank you,” before entering the room. Regina sat just outside on the bench. The shock of this all was finally melting away and her full emotions were washing over her. She couldn’t help but assume the worst. Emma was going to wake up and forget how they felt about each other. Hell, she could wake up and forget she ever felt any positive feelings toward Regina, romantically or otherwise. She could forget about the existence of magic and the reality of fairytales. She could go back to being the Emma she was before the curse broke. She could go back to hating Regina, taking a chainsaw to her apple tree and whatnot, flushing all the progress they had made down the toilet.

     Tears fell steadily down Regina’s face, but she remained silent. Sitting alone on that bench, a sudden sense of guilt overwhelmed her. Villains don’t get happy endings, and Emma was supposed to be hers. Trying to have a relationship with Emma went against fate, and both women paid the price. Emma’s love was her saving grace, and when she woke, she was going to forget that they had ever loved one another. Regina felt lost and helpless.

“Mom?” Henry called down the hallway.

     The brunette lifted her gaze from the floor, wiping her tears with her hand. She quickly, yet naturally, put herself back together, her motherly instincts taking over. It was Henry’s other mother that was in the accident, after all, and she needed to be there for him. She stood from the bench, enveloping him in a tight hug, his head now resting on her shoulder, as he had grown so much. Regina kissed his head softly, running a hand through his hair, feeling her heart break at the sound of his sniffles. After a moment, he lifted his head and asked, “Is Ma going to be okay?” Regina looked at first Henry and then Kathryn before explaining to the both of them the news she had heard. Henry sniffled again and sat down on the bench, taking it all in. Regina walked towards Kathryn and hugged her.

“Thank you for bringing Henry. I greatly appreciate it.”

Kathryn released Regina and replied, “Any time. Please let me know if there is anything else I can do. I hope she recovers soon.”

     Before Regina could reach the bench to sit by Henry, Snow and Charming came out of Emma’s room, eyes red and puffy. Henry stood to hug them each in turn before returning to his mother’s side. “You guys can go in. We’re going to get some water in the cafeteria and then take a walk for some fresh air,” Snow said. Placing a hand on Regina’s shoulder, she added, “Please call us if she wakes up.”

     Nodding her affirmative, Regina put her arm around Henry and walked into Emma’s room. Upon seeing Emma, she gasped, her hand reaching up and covering her mouth. Her eyes once again welled with tears, as she bit her lip to hold them back. She couldn’t stand seeing her girlfriend like this.

     Emma had a large gash above her left eye running across the edge of her eyebrow to right above her cheek bone, stitched together with nine stitches. The area surrounding the stitches was already a dark blue bruise, extending to slightly under her eye. Her left arm was in a sling, as her shoulder had been dislocated, most likely from the seat belt. Although she couldn’t see which side she had broken ribs on, as her gown revealed only her collarbone, Regina was left to assume that it would be her left side, knowing that many of her injuries probably arose from her violent contact with the driver’s side door. In addition to the major injuries, there were very small cuts across Emma’s cheek and neck, as well as her arms, looking as though they came from broken glass.

     Regina closed her eyes and swallowed, her constant high emotions making it consistently more difficult to control her magic. She walked Henry over to Emma’s right side and then took a seat on the couch along the wall. Henry stood stock still for a moment, a stray tear rolling down his cheek. He leaned over, careful to avoid hurting Emma, and kissed her softly on the cheek, before taking the seat next to his mom. He rested his head on her shoulder and sighed heavily.

     The two sat together in silence, Regina playing with her hands in her lap, attempting not to let her thoughts assume the worst. Whale didn’t actually say it was a definite that she would have memory loss, but he also said he couldn’t be sure about the extent of her injuries until she woke up. The simple fact that she had yet to wake up since the accident spoke volumes as to the extent of the injuries. It had been hours now. Just because there wasn’t bleeding didn’t mean that there wasn’t significant damage. Shaking the thoughts from her head, she decided to focus on something else.

“Henry,” she said softly, resting her hand on his leg. “I want to talk to you about something.”

“Okay. About what?” he asked, still resting his head on her shoulder.

“Well, you remember how we were all supposed to have dinner tonight, right?”

“Mhm.”

     “Well,” Regina continued. “Emma and I were going to tell everyone something.” Henry lifted his head to look at her, but remained quiet, waiting for his mother to finish. “Henry, Emma and I are together. We have been for a little over two months now.” She paused, waiting to gauge his reaction.

     He smiled at her, his smile so similar to Emma’s that it warmed her heart. “I’m happy for you.” He hugged his mother tight, before adding, “See? I told you that Emma would bring back everyone’s happy endings. Including yours.”

     Her eyes filled with tears at his words, not very sure that her happy ending was truly within reach. Yet the sentiment was appreciated, so she said, “Thank you, Henry. That means a lot to me.” He gently let go of his mother, his brow furrowed in thought.

“Do you love her?”

     “Yes, I do love her,” she said, releasing a sigh. “I love her very much. I just never got the chance to tell her.” She pinched the bridge of her nose again, attempting to alleviate some pressure.

“Have you kissed her?” Henry asked curiously.

“Yes, I have kissed her. We’ve been dating for two months.”

     Henry gave her the same look that she so often gave Emma when she said something without thinking. “I assumed that, Mom. I was asking if you’ve kissed her today. Like since the accident.”

     “Oh,” she laughed. “No, I haven’t.” She looked at him, resting her hand on his leg again. “I know you want there to be some way to magically cure Emma. But Henry, this is just an accident. It’s not a curse. Kissing her won’t do anything.”

He leaned back, facing his mother more fully. “It shouldn’t matter if it’s a curse or not. Love can do a lot of things, Mom. You should really just try it.”

     “Henry, I can’t.” Regina became nervous, her nerves creating that tingling feeling in her fingers again. She knew that any magic created by love was true love and that true love could do more than just break a sleeping curse. But true love requires both people to feel the same about one another. So of course, she loved Emma. But that didn’t mean Emma felt the same about her, as they had never explicitly said, “I love you”, nor was Regina even sure that Emma would remember how they felt about each other. She was afraid to kiss Emma and have nothing happen. That would be detrimental to their relationship.

Henry continued, “Why not? True love’s kiss does a lot more than just break curses. It’s different for each person. But you have to give it a try.”

“We’ll see,” was her only response. Henry returned his head to her shoulder, where he started to doze off.

     Quite some time had passed before Snow and David knocked on the door. Henry jumped, as he had fallen asleep and was startled. The two then rose from their seats and exited the room. Snow asked, “Any progress?”

     Regina sadly shook her head. She noticed how exhausted the Charmings looked as well, and had an idea. “Snow, David, why don’t you go home and get some rest? It’s been quite a long day for you, and I’m sure you both want to see Neal.”

Snow stifled a yawn, before replying, “We don’t want to leave Emma alone.”

“I can stay with her,” Regina replied. “I don’t mind.”

“Then you can kiss her,” Henry chimed in, before covering a yawn of his own.

     “Henry!” Regina scolded, her cheeks turning a bright shade of red. David and Henry chuckled, before Regina continued. “Snow, would you mind taking Henry home with you? He needs his rest as well.”

“Not at all. We’ll see him off to school in the morning before we come back.”

“Thank you,” Regina replied. She hugged Henry and waved goodbye to David, before turning to Snow.

As the men walked down the hall, Snow asked, “Are you sure you don’t mind staying? We can come back in an hour or two after we get things sorted out with Neal.”

“I truly don’t mind at all. I want to be with her.”

     Snow smiled at Regina before placing her hands on her shoulders. “Regina, she can still hear you. Now might be a good time to tell her that you love her.” Regina nodded, before accepting a hug from Snow. “Call us if anything happens, okay?” Nodding again, Regina watched as Snow walked down the hall toward David and Henry.

     Returning to the room, she pulled up a chair directly beside Emma’s bed and sat down. She took Emma’s hand into her own and kissed each knuckle gently. It was so very hard for her to see her lover this way. But she needed to be here for her. She needed to tell her what she had wanted to, but couldn’t, for so long. She was afraid that it would be her only opportunity.

     She stroked Emma’s cheek gently with her thumb before beginning. “Emma, I’ve been so afraid for so long to tell you how I really feel. I was afraid that if I told you, you would be taken away from me because I’m not supposed to have my happy ending. But clearly, that’s not the case.” Her voice cracked as tears fell down her face. “Emma, I love you. I love you more than I ever thought was humanly possible. And I…” She sniffled, choking on her own words. “I can’t lose you. I need you in my life. I’d do anything to ensure that you’re going to be okay. I’d even take all of this pain on myself, just so I could see you smile again.” Her face was soaked with her own tears, as she used one hand to wipe them away, the other holding Emma’s hand securely. “I want to see those beautiful green eyes of yours that I could get lost in for hours. I want to hear your adorable little giggle when you’ve said something completely ridiculous and you know it. I want to feel your arms wrapped around me as we watch a movie. Emma, I just want you. I want everything about you. I want you to be okay. I want everything to be okay.”

     She folded her arms across the edge of the bed, resting her head on her arm, yet never letting go of Emma’s hand. She sobbed, her body shaking, drowning in her thoughts. Her emotions caused her magic to bubble to the surface, tingling right beneath her skin. All she could think about was doing anything possible to make sure Emma was okay. Picking her head up and wiping her face, she remembered her earlier conversation with Henry about true love’s kiss. She knew that there was a slim chance that anything would happen, but she had to try.

     She stood from her seat, ensuring that if she leaned over, she wouldn’t hurt Emma. She gently caressed the side of Emma’s cheek, looking down at her poor injured face. She leaned in closer, her lips only centimeters from Emma’s. She focused her thoughts on how desperately she wanted to help Emma, hoping that maybe something would happen. She shut her eyes and closed the remaining distance between them, pressing her lips gently to Emma’s. Immediately, a surge of energy was released from Regina. Not wanting to ruin any magic taking place, Regina didn’t move, allowing the tingling sensation to rush through her.

     Once the tingling sensation ceased, she pulled away slightly and opened her eyes. She saw the remnants of purple smoke mixing with white smoke. It swirled together to create a pinkish color before disappearing completely. She smiled brilliantly. She wasn’t sure what had happened, but either way, something did. And it was all because she was willing to accept her love for Emma.

     Within moments, Regina felt a sharp pain in her left side. She gasped, pressing her hands to the spot firmly. A pain in her shoulder followed shortly after. Her head started to throb and she started feeling dizzy and weak. She sat down in her chair beside the bed. She took Emma’s hand once again into hers, needing to feel her close. She rested her head on her arms once again, realizing what had happened. Selfless love is putting someone else’s needs before your own, and Regina had wanted to take Emma’s pain away from her to provide her some relief. Exhaustion took over her and she fell into a deep sleep.

**[X]**

     Regina awoke sometime later, her body still sore from her previous magical healing. Although awake, she allowed herself a moment to rest with her head down, taking in all that had happened. Her kiss with Emma had allowed her to take the pain away from Emma, but only some. She was very sore, and her head ached, but nothing was broken and she had no physical signs of an accident. Feeling a gentle squeeze on her hand, she quickly lifted her head.

     The blonde was moving slightly in bed, her face scrunched up in discomfort and pain. “Emma,” Regina whispered, the thought of Emma being awake almost too good to be true. She continued to squirm in bed, not used to the pain she was feeling. Regina’s heart beat rapidly in her chest, simply excited to see the blonde waking up. But when Emma opened her eyes, the look of confusion that crossed her face shattered Regina’s happiness.

     She took in a ragged breath, attempting to hold her emotions in check. She felt as though in moments, her happiness peaked to the happiest she’d ever been, but then quickly came crashing back down. Emma looked so very confused and Regina’s first assumption was that Emma had forgotten her. This wasn’t the end of the world. If the brunette wished, she could simply start from the beginning with Emma. But to Regina, this seemed like a sign that Emma wasn’t hers to have. She believed that fate was telling her to stop trying. Her eyes became glassy as tears threatened to fall, but she gave Emma a small smile, still simply relieved that she was awake. She gave her hand a gentle squeeze before releasing it, not wanting to make Emma uncomfortable.

“Hi,” Regina said softly, tucking a stray hair behind her ear.

“Hey,” Emma replied.

     She furrowed her brow again, then winced in pain, as moving her forehead pulled on her stitches. She gingerly touched her wound and checked her hand for blood. Not finding any, she rested her hand on the bed again. Regina wiped a stray tear from her eye, cursing herself for letting it fall. She had so much she wanted to say to Emma, and now, none of it seemed relevant. The silence permeated the room, creating a thickness to the air, until Emma broke the silence.

“I know I’m ugly, babe. But damn, you don’t have to cry about it.”

Regina was shocked into silence for only a moment before she began to laugh. She wiped another stray tear from her eye as she reached for Emma’s hand once again.

     “That’s better,” Emma said, smiling radiantly at her girlfriend beside her. “You were looking at me like a sad puppy and I couldn’t take it much longer. I really wanted to see your beautiful smile.”

The brunette brought Emma’s hand to her lips, kissing it softly before answering, “Emma, I thought you forgot about us.”

     Emma used what little strength she had to tug Regina closer to her. Regina moved the chair out of the way and cautiously sat on the edge of the bed. The blonde released her hand and reached up, grabbing the collar of Regina’s jacket, and pulled her close. Careful not to hurt Emma, she followed where her hands were guiding her until their lips were a breath apart. “I could never forget about us, Sweetheart,” Emma whispered softly, before closing the distance between them. The kiss was very gentle, yet full of emotion. Regina pulled away and placed a soft kiss on Emma’s forehead, then her cheek, and then her nose.

     She cupped the right side of Emma’s face in her hand, pulling enough away from Emma to look into the sea of green before her. “I want to tell you something,” she began, “and I’m so sorry that it has taken me so long to do so. But I need you to know this.” She paused, ensuring that she had Emma’s full attention. “I love you, Emma Swan. I almost lost you today, and if I had, my biggest regret would have been not expressing how I truly feel about you. I love you so very much.”

Emma leaned up and kissed her again, more soundly this time, before replying, “I love you too, Regina.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reviews are gold, my friends. :)


	6. More Cider

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, this is the beginning of the end. It's been wonderful writing this story, and I hope you all enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. It's been a pleasure. :)

     Hearing the loud sound of her alarm, Regina woke, rolled to face her nightstand, and shut it off. Turning to face the middle of the bed once again, she smiled as she saw the sleeping figure of her beautiful girlfriend beside her, blonde hair splayed across the pillow as she laid on her stomach, her right arm under the pillow. Regina leaned over and placed a gentle kiss on the back of the blonde’s neck, eliciting a groan of displeasure. Emma covered her head with the pillow she had previously been lying on, her muffled voice saying, “It’s too early.”

     Regina chuckled, positioning herself above Emma, wrapping her arms around her midsection and lying her head between Emma’s shoulder blades. “You have to wake up, Emma. You have work.”

     “I’ll tell my boss that I’m not coming.” Emma took the pillow off her head and put her hand up to her ear, her thumb and pinky extended in the form of a fake phone. “Oh hey, Madame Mayor. I’m not coming in to work today. Kay, thanks.” She dropped her hand back to the bed. “There. I took care of it.” Regina laughed at Emma’s antics.

“You’re such a child sometimes, Swan.”

Reaching behind herself for Regina’s hand, she took it in hers, saying, “Well, yeah, but you knew that coming into this. You love me anyway.”

“I do love you anyway.”

     As Emma was clad only in her bra and panties, Regina took the opportunity to find a more pleasing way to wake her sleepy lover. Placing soft, sweet kisses to the exposed skin of Emma’s shoulders, she let her hands wander down the blonde’s back before reaching the swell of her ass. She squeezed gently before slipping her hands lower and between Emma’s thighs. Avoiding her sex, Regina drew soft, lazy circles on the inside of her legs, kissing her way up the side of Emma’s neck, and nibbling gently on her ear.

Emma whimpered quietly before saying, “Don’t start something you can’t finish, Love. That’s just cruel.”

     Regina slipped her thigh between Emma’s legs and pressed it firmly against her quickly dampening center. She dragged her finger nails lightly along Emma’s sides until she reached her breasts, where she reached around her and cupped each one firmly in her own hands. She flicked her tongue across the blonde’s neck, before saying, “It’s not cruel, Darling. It’s motivational. You see,” she continued, her leg moving slowly between her thighs causing magnificent friction, “if you get out of bed now, you can join me in the shower.” She moved to straddle Emma’s lower back, her own scarcely clad, and very damp, sex rubbing against her bare skin. “Or you can choose to sleep, and I’ll just have to take care of this myself. The choice is yours, dear.”

     Not waiting for an answer, Regina slid off the bed and headed toward the master bathroom. Only a few steps from the bed, she felt Emma grab her shoulder and spin her around, crashing their lips together in a heated kiss of passion. “Excellent choice, Swan,” she said, breathily, her arms around Emma’s neck.

     “Awe, c’mon, Regina. You know I could never miss an opportunity to please my queen.” Emma winked at her before firmly grasping her perfect ass, lifting her in the air. Gasping, Regina wrapped her legs tightly around Emma’s waist. Once she was lifted, Regina attached her lips to Emma’s neck, nibbling and sucking on her smooth, porcelain skin. Emma carried her lover the rest of the way into the bathroom, setting her down gently in front of the counter. She spun Regina around to face the mirror while she made busy work of undoing her bra. The brunette watched with fascination as Emma unfastened it, allowing it to fall to the floor, before reaching around her and covering her breasts with her hands. There was something insanely erotic about watching Emma touch her in the mirror. Brushing brunette hair out of the way, Emma used her body to pin Regina against the counter, nimble fingers pinching her nipples lightly while she kissed and licked at her now exposed neck. Regina was reduced to quiet whimpers and moans, relishing in the loving caresses of her girlfriend.

     Remembering that this was her incentive for the blonde to get out of bed, Regina wanted to reward Emma. She turned around in her girlfriend’s embrace, kissing her with a fiery passion, biting at her bottom lip, leaving the blonde breathless. Dragging her finger down the center of Emma’s chest, she met her bra, which quickly disappeared in a cloud of purple smoke, along with her underwear. A small gasp escaped Emma at the sudden breeze she felt against her heated core. The wicked grin that graced Regina’s face was reminiscent of her days as the Evil Queen, as she purred, “Shower, Swan. Now.” Emma squeezed her thighs together, a sudden rush of wetness flowing from her sex, as she gracefully nodded her head.

“Yes, your Majesty.”

     A low moan involuntarily erupted from the Queen’s throat at Emma’s eager response. They never truly engaged in any kind of role play, especially not with Regina’s former self. But occasionally, the Queen’s dominance would rise to the surface, and Emma was often happy to oblige Regina’s need for control. If anything, the Queen’s appearance in the bedroom was an extreme turn on for the Sheriff, as she only had the opportunity to see the Evil Queen twice, both times creating a waterfall of arousal that freely soaked her underwear.

     Opening the glass door to Regina’s shower, Emma glanced over her shoulder and dramatically leaned over to turn the water on. She smirked as she saw a very aroused Regina unabashedly stare at her rear. Stepping forward, the brunette pressed herself flush against Emma, running her fingers along her sides. “We don’t need to wait for hot water, dear. I’m going to have you hot and flustered in moments.”

     “Is that a promise?” Emma purred, stepping into the marginally warm water. She shivered as the cold water hit her hot skin, but it only lasted for a moment. Suddenly, her skin felt near feverish, her jaw dropping open, as she watched Regina slip out of her black lace underwear in the most highly seductive manner possible. She stepped into the shower, one tanned leg at a time, stepping right into Emma’s personal space.

     Unable to control herself for another moment, she roughly pinned Regina to the wall of her shower, her hands attempting to touch every inch of the brunette’s skin all at once, her tongue stroking Regina’s in a play for dominance. Giving in to the submissive role for a moment, Regina allowed Emma all the control she wanted. The now hot water splashed off their already heated skin as the blonde devoured all the olive toned skin she could reach. She nipped and sucked at Regina’s neck, certainly marking her. Using her own body to push Regina further in the corner, she lifted Regina’s leg onto the ledge, giving herself easy access to her lover’s wet and ready sex.

     Regina moaned as Emma’s fingers slid through her slick folds from her entrance up to her clit, circling the hardened nub. She tapped her finger lightly on the swollen nub before circling it once again, and then sliding them swiftly back towards her entrance. Within seconds, Emma was magically pushed back to the other side of the shower, her hands pinned above her head with invisible restraints. Shocked only for a moment, her pupils dilated and darkened with lust as she looked at Regina. She stood along the other wall, poised, and composed like the queen that she was. Emma squirmed under the Queen’s gaze, her aching core dripping from more than just the water in the shower.

     “My, my, my, Emma,” the Queen purred. “You’re so bold to think you can manhandle me in such a way without my permission. I said you were getting your reward for getting out of bed this morning, but don’t get greedy.” She licked her lips and raised an eyebrow. “Well, not yet anyway.” She moved as if she was floating, walking smoothly from one side to the other, passing through the water, the droplets rolling off her smooth skin. Emma swallowed, tugging on the magical restraints. She’d do anything to get her hands on that woman, yet there was something thrilling about being completely at her mercy.

     Grabbing Emma’s chin in her hand, Regina brought their lips together, the kiss becoming all teeth and tongue, Regina maintaining control. Her hands wandered lower to Emma’s breasts where she rolled her nipples between her fingers, eliciting a loud moan. Regina bit Emma’s lip, then said, “Hush, dear. Our son doesn’t have to be awake for school for another hour.” With the flick of her wrist, she placed a silencing spell around the room, ensuring their son would not hear the sounds of his mothers’ passions.

     Lowering herself slightly, she enveloped Emma’s nipple into the hot cavern of her mouth, flicking her tongue over the hardened bud, while tugging lightly at the other. She sucked hard, making it pop from her mouth before she switched her mouth and hand, giving the same attention to the other breast. Kneading both breasts in her hands, she kissed her way down Emma’s stomach, looking up into the green eyes of her girlfriend, who by now was aching to be touched. She wanted to thread her fingers in brunette locks and rock her hips into the talented mouth of her lover until she came hard, but Regina was taking her sweet time, promising to reward Emma, but torturing her in the process.

     Continuing to kiss her way down Emma’s taut and toned stomach, Regina came upon a slightly raised, little white scar. Her features softened as she remembered the surgery Emma had to have only a few months prior to repair her broken ribs and torn tissue from her accident. Her dominance as the Queen retreated deep within her, her need for control slipping away with it. She simply wanted to pleasure Emma, showing her girlfriend how much she appreciated her. Placing a few feather light kisses on the raised skin, she flicked her wrists and released Emma’s hands.

     Before Emma could even react to her freedom, Regina was completely down on her knees, her tongue on her clit, mercilessly swirling her tongue around the sensitive, swollen nub. Screaming out, Emma’s hands tangled in brunette hair, pulling her lovers face more into her sex. Regina hummed her approval, the vibrations causing another moan to erupt from deep within Emma’s throat. One hand lifted Emma’s leg over her shoulder, while the other hand reached up to tweak one of her nipples. After Emma’s leg was securely placed on her shoulder granting her better access, she slipped three fingers into Emma’s heated center, knowing full well that she was wet and ready. She threw her head back and moaned, the overwhelming sensations bringing her close to the edge.

     Regina sucked on Emma’s clit, grazing it with her teeth, before flicking her tongue over it once again. Pressing her lips fully into her sex in order for her to feel the vibrations, Regina said, “Come for me, Emma.” Hearing Regina’s husky voice, mixed with her words, and feeling the sensations on her body, Emma went toppling over the edge into ecstasy, moaning Regina’s name with every breath.

     Regina didn’t slow her motions until she was sure Emma rode out her high. Then she stood, stretching her legs a bit, as being on her knees that long made them stiff. Her blonde beauty smiled at her, bringing her in closer. They kissed slowly and with passion, as Emma smiled into the kiss, tasting herself. She pulled away and looked at Regina with so much love in her eyes. She tucked a stray piece of brunette hair behind her ear, then cupped Regina’s face in her hand, saying, “I love you, Regina.”

Pressing her hand against Emma’s on her cheek, she turned and kissed the inside of Emma’s palm before saying, “I love you too, Emma.”

     Releasing Emma’s hand, Regina turned and reached for the shampoo bottle, ready to begin showering. Emma wrapped her arms snuggly around the brunette’s waist, kissing at her exposed shoulders and neck. “I don’t believe my queen got her turn,” Emma said between kisses. Regina sighed in pleasure, leaning her head back on Emma’s other shoulder, giving her better access to her neck.

“I thought that I was rewarding you for getting out of bed, Love.”

     “Mm,” Emma hummed against her neck, nibbling softly on Regina’s pulse point. “Well, you get rewarded too.” Her hands slid across wet, smooth skin, from just below her lover’s navel, all the way up to her breasts, pinching her nipples lightly before massaging her entire breast in her hands. The water splashed off Emma’s shoulders, rolling down her arms, and onto Regina’s front.

“What for?” Regina asked, reaching an arm behind her, and tangling her fingers in blonde locks, pressing Emma’s warm mouth more firmly onto her skin.

     The Sheriff turned Regina in her arms, keeping their lips only inches apart. “Simply for being wonderful,” she whispered before pulling Regina’s body flush against hers and kissing her hard. Their lips never separating, she pressed the mayor against the wall of the shower, her hands wandering to the apex of her thighs, stroking the soft skin she encountered there. Regina whimpered at the soft touch, wanting Emma to continue her exploration. Breathless, Emma broke the kiss, only to resume kissing Regina’s neck and up to her ear. Grabbing the back of the brunette’s thigh, she lifted her leg to wrap around her waist, pressing her body more firmly into the wall to keep her standing.

     Now with better access to Regina’s heated sex, she stroked through slick folds with two fingers, relishing in the arousing noises escaping the usually well-composed mayor. Despite Regina’s ability to keep it together in everyday life, Emma had a way of making the gorgeous woman come completely undone, losing her composure, and expressing such need and vulnerability. “Emma…” Regina moaned, bucking her hips forward in a plea for more.

     She rubbed circles over her lover’s clit, massaging it with two fingers, before pinching it lightly, then resuming her ministrations. Regina’s body was vibrating with need, as she twisted long fingers in golden locks, whimpering, and bringing Emma’s lips to hers for another passionate kiss. Pulling away, she looked into emerald greens eyes and said, “Fuck me, Emma,” her eyes darkened significantly in lust.

Biting her lip seductively, she replied, “Yes, your Majesty.”

     A second surge of wet arousal flooded between Regina’s thighs, right before Emma entered her swiftly with three fingers. “Oh God, yes!” she cried out. She loved how Emma knew just when to appeal to her old self, her dominant nature always just below the surface, waiting to be called upon. The blonde always knew just how to make their already hot sex even more appealing. She willingly submitted to Regina’s needs, even when she was clearly in the more dominant position. She thrust her fingers deep into Regina, all the while biting and sucking tenderly on her neck. She performed as if Regina was doing her a favor in letting her touch the Queen in such a way. Their love making was always passionate, and although Emma was fully aware that this relationship was of equal give and take, she made sure to show Regina that she worshipped her. She wanted her girlfriend to know that she loved and accepted every part of her, including her once dark past. Emma found a way to turn a sore subject for Regina into a way to express more love, and for that Regina was eternally grateful.

     Tightening her leg around Emma’s waist pulling her impossibly closer, she dug her nails into her back, leaving long red marks, as her moans became significantly louder. The blonde could feel her walls tightening around her fingers, her palm grinding into Regina’s highly sensitive clit. “Fuck… Emma…” Regina panted, completely reduced to moans and expletives.

     Knowing Regina was close, Emma adjusted the angle of her hand and hips. Pressing her pelvis firmly against the back of her hand, she could thrust her hips forward, fucking Regina harder than before. Feeling nails dig deeper into her skin, she knew she had done something right. Smirking against the soft skin of Regina’s neck, Emma whispered huskily in her ear, “Is this how you wanted me to pleasure you, my Queen?”

    “Yes… oh, God, yes…” she moaned, her eyes closed tightly as she approached the edge of climax. Emma thrust her hips hard into Regina, pressing her fingers deep within her to the knuckle, hitting her g-spot repeatedly. Her other hand was occupied holding Regina’s leg around her waist. She licked and sucked at the brunette’s neck, leaving little red marks as she went. Approaching ecstasy, Regina grabbed blonde locks and tugged gently, bringing Emma’s lips to her own. Kissing her lover passionately, she bit her bottom lip as she moaned loudly, falling over the edge into oblivion. Her walls convulsed around Emma’s probing fingers, her body shaking.

     Once her high had passed, Emma used her own body to support Regina until she was sure she could rest her foot to the floor again. Blinking a few times, Regina removed her leg from around Emma’s waist and touched it to the floor, smiling brightly at her soaking wet lover. “You’re really something special, Love,” she said, taking her chin in her hand and kissing her.

     Emma smiled into the kiss. “I’m glad you think so. Or else I never would have had a chance with someone so out of my league.” She wiggled her eyebrows at Regina before placing a chaste kiss on her lips. “Now, if we’re done getting dirty, I think we should start getting clean.”

Regina chuckled, adding, “You’re probably right. Your boss is ignoring your earlier phone call and is expecting you at work. So, you can’t be late.”

     Emma poured a bit of shampoo in her hand and turned Regina around, lathering the liquid into her hair, while simultaneously massaging her scalp. “Well if my girlfriend would stop being so incredibly sexy, maybe I wouldn’t have to make passionate love to her in the shower before work,” she joked back. 

“Then I guess it’s a good thing your boss and girlfriend are the same person,” Regina said, putting her back in the water, and rinsing the suds from her hair, “because personally, I accept morning shower sex as a perfectly valid excuse.”

     After sharing another laugh, the two women resorted to a comfortable silence, each helping to wash the other, lathering wash cloths with soap, and massaging each other’s scalps with shampoo and conditioner. Once finished, Emma stepped out first, drying herself with one of Regina’s many luxurious towels. She then grabbed another and handed it over to Regina before wrapping her own around herself and stepping into the bedroom.

     Although Emma hadn’t actually moved in, she stayed over enough nights a week to have gathered enough of her belongings at the Mayor’s house. Regina had insisted she stay with her for the first few weeks after her accident, but Emma never fully went back to living in her own apartment once she recovered. She’d spend a few nights at her own home when either she or Regina had an early morning, or when Henry had friends over, but many nights, Emma found herself falling asleep in Regina’s arms.

     The two moved effortlessly around the room, drying their hair with the hair dryer, applying make-up, and getting dressed, all without ever really getting in the other’s way. They had done this so many mornings now that this had all seemed comfortably routine. The domesticity that had once bothered Regina was now providing a sense of belonging. Both women got dressed and ready, Regina in her fashionable pencil skirt and blouse, Emma in her skinny jeans, tank top, and signature leather jacket. Emma pulled Regina close, looking into her chocolate brown eyes. She smiled softly at her. “Regina,” she said, “will you go to dinner with me tonight?”

“Wow,” Regina joked, “our sex was so good that it warrants dinner? I must be getting better.”

“Babe, I don’t think it’s possible for you to get any better,” Emma replied, doing her best to keep a straight face.

“Oh, you’re a kiss ass.” Regina playfully slapped Emma’s arm.

Pulling her closer and firmly grasping Regina’s rear, she replied, “I’d kiss your ass any day.”

     Regina shook her head, knowing that when it came to flirtatious banter, Emma would always win. She grabbed Emma by the collar of her leather jacket and pulled her in for a kiss, her lips moving effortlessly in rhythm with Emma’s. Pulling away, she saw a smile on the blonde’s face that reflected her own. “So, is that a yes?” Emma asked.

“Of course, it is,” she answered, interlocking her fingers with Emma’s and walking toward the stairs.

**[X]**

“Dinner was lovely, Emma,” Regina said as she opened the front door to her house, Emma following close behind, their fingers intertwined.

     “I agree,” Emma replied with a smile. She took Regina’s jacket from her shoulders and hung it in the closet before removing her own. Placing the leather garment in the closet beside Regina’s, she then removed her boots and placed them next to Regina’s now removed heels. Closing the closet door, she interlocked their fingers once again, leading her lover into the den where Regina’s home office was. She guided her to the couch where they both took a seat. Regina picked her feet up and placed them beside her on the couch, her legs folded at the knee. She laid her head on Emma’s shoulder and sighed quietly, slipping her arm inside Emma’s, holding her hand once again, rubbing her thumb over the back of it.

“It’s funny that you chose to sit in here instead of in the living room tonight,” Regina said thoughtfully. Smirking, Emma raised an eyebrow and looked down at Regina, with a knowing look in her eye.

“Hmm. And why is that?”

The brunette eyed her skeptically before smiling up at her, asking, “Do you know?”

     “Do I know what?” Emma asked, pretending to play along. Regina poked her in the side. Laughing, Emma continued, “Do I know that today is exactly one year since you drunkenly told me you were into me? Of course, I do.”  She leaned down and kissed her girlfriend softly. Then she placed a hand on her leg and said, “Well how about in the spirit of celebrating such a wonderful evening, we have a glass of cider, shall we?” Regina nodded her agreement, sitting up and allowing Emma space to move.

     Standing, Emma made her way over to the cabinet along the wall and retrieved two glasses. She placed them on the desk before sauntering over to the side table and grabbing the decanter, removing the glass stopper, and pouring the amber liquid. “Sometimes,” Regina said making herself more comfortable on her own side of the couch, “I remember how upset I was that night. I really was so terrified of my feelings for you, Emma. I really could not believe I told you. And now, I feel so free to tell you how I feel all the time. We really have come so far in just a matter of one year.” She rested her head on her knuckles as her elbow rested on the armrest.

     Still standing with her back to Regina, she responded, “For the record, you never actually told me much of anything that night. You just kissed me.” She smiled over her shoulder at Regina, who was giving her a face that said ‘You know what I meant’. “Oh!” she continued, turning back around toward the center of the room. “I forgot something. I’ll be right back.” She quickly paced out of the room and around the corner.

     After waiting a few moments and seeing that Emma was not returning any time soon, Regina rose from her seat and made her way over toward the desk. Noticing at first glance that one glass was significantly less full than the other, she said loudly, “I know I drank a bit much that first night, but this is only my first glass. Filling it all the way won’t hurt.” She smiled to herself at the memory, the tension of that evening now a fun joke. Grabbing the decanter, she went to fill the glass more when she noticed something resting on the bottom. As she lifted the glass to eye level, she shouted, “Emma, there’s something in…” She froze at the realization of what exactly it was that was sitting at the bottom of her glass. There, sitting in half an inch of homemade apple cider, was a diamond ring.

     Placing one hand to her chest, the glass still in the other, she spun around to find Emma, down on one knee at her feet. “Oh, Emma…” she said softly. The hand on her chest rose to cover her mouth in shock. She could not believe this was happening.

     “Regina, I…” Emma began. She paused for a moment, pushing a stray hair behind her ear, swallowing hard. She cleared her throat and started again. “A year ago today, I told you that I don’t often plan things out. I just do what I think is right at that moment in time. And that’s definitely still true. I had this whole speech planned out, but it doesn’t feel right. I want to speak to you from the heart. So here it goes.” She sighed, finally looking up from the ground. Their eyes met, and Emma immediately smiled, completely reassured that she wanted nothing more than the beautiful woman in front of her.

     “When I first came here to Storybrooke, Henry told me that I was the Savior and that I was here to bring back everyone’s happy endings. And that was mostly true. But the whole town looked to me for some kind of guidance that I didn’t know how to give. I was just as lost as everyone else.” She took Regina’s hand into her own, kissing it sweetly. “With you, things were different. Sure, we didn’t get along at first, but your personality complimented mine in the most perfect way. And as I got to know you better, I simply fell in love with you. I was lost, but then I found myself in you. I discovered that you are my other half. My better half, in fact. You don’t see me as the Savior and I don’t see you as the Evil Queen. We’re just Regina and Emma, happily together and madly in love. Well, at least I am.”

     Regina giggled as her eyes watered slightly, her hand still covering her mouth. Emma continued, “I may have helped to find other people’s happy endings, but it was you that found mine. We wouldn’t be where we are today if you hadn’t taken that first step. Now, I can only hope that you’ll take the next step with me toward our little happily ever after.” Regina squeezed Emma’s hand tightly, awaiting the words she knew were soon to come.

“Regina, will you marry me?”

     “Yes, Emma,” she answered quickly. There was no doubt in her mind that this was what she wanted. “I will happily marry you, my Love.” She set the glass down behind her before pulling Emma up by her hand. She wrapped her arms around Emma’s neck and pulled her in for a passionate and loving kiss. They remained in their embrace for a few moments before Emma pulled away. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a ring before taking Regina’s left hand and sliding it on her finger. Regina scrunched her eyebrows together in confusion, saying, “I thought the ring was in the cider.”

     Admiring the ring on her now fiancée’s hand, she added, “Well that one was just a cheap version of the real one that I bought for show. I wanted the surprise of you finding it in the cider, but I didn’t want to ruin the ring either.”

     Regina pulled Emma in for another kiss, holding their bodies impossibly close. The brunette felt so lucky to have Emma in her life. Despite not being one for planning things out, she still went above and beyond to make Regina happy, and she was more than appreciative. Separating, Regina finally took a good look at the ring on her finger. “God, Emma, it’s beautiful. It’s absolutely breathtaking.”

    Cupping her cheek, Emma replied, “Not as beautiful or as breathtaking as you, Sweetheart.” They shared another kiss, but the two were interrupted by the vibration of Emma’s phone. She pulled it out, having a pretty good idea of who would be texting her. She read the messages she had received and chuckled before handing the phone to Regina. The Mayor read the messages for herself.

**Henry:** Did you ask her yet?

**Henry:** What did she say? I’m sure she said yes.

**Henry:** Ma, you’re killing me here. Call me after!

She laughed, asking, “You told our son?”

     “Of course, I did,” she replied. “I can’t ask his other mother to marry me without his approval. Plus,” she added, “he was making inappropriate insinuations as to why I needed him to spend the night at my parent’s place.” Regina raised her eyebrows in surprise, and Emma raised her hands in defense. “It wasn’t me. I didn’t give him that idea.”

     Regina laughed and then rested her head against Emma’s chest. “I love you, Emma Swan,” she whispered, griping her leather jacket tightly in her fingers, proving to herself that this was reality and not a dream.

“I love you too, Regina.”

     Feeling her phone vibrate again signaling she was receiving a phone call, she laughed and handed it directly to Regina. “You might want to answer this and tell our son what your answer is or he won’t stop calling.”

     Regina took it before replying with a smirk, “He must get his impatient nature from you.” She winked at Emma before answering the call and exiting the room. Emma returned to the desk to empty the cider glass, retrieve the ring, and pour Regina a new glass of cider. Lifting the glass to eye level, she smiled to herself, remembering how Regina told her that it’d be the best cider she’d ever tasted. Little did she know that the cider would lead to so much more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for powering through with me! Our lovely ladies have found their happy ending. :)

**Author's Note:**

> I hope everyone enjoyed this! Reviews are appreciated.


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